Duke of Egypt

by Margriet De Moor

A love story between Lucie, a farmer, and Joseph, a gypsy during which they forge a link not even death can break as she truly comes to understand his ancient culture. I found the way in which the narrative switches between main characters, including a very strange 'I' (Lucie's alter ego?)very difficult, but the people are fascinating and the book should be compulsory reading for all who are anti-traveller.

Extract

To call him old at the beginning of the 1960s was no exaggeration. Men and women of his age were ancient rarities at that time in Continental Europe if they had olive-brown skin, gold teeth, steely blue hair and the eyes of a burnt-our acrobat. If their appearance was of the kind that made civilizations think of the stake.